There is no need for my children to have consistent access to the Internet, email, games, etc. I did look up spider species for my son so he could draw seven different varieties for a class assignment. And, due to the fact that we are living in Taiwan, our family is choosing to learn Mandarin Chinese. When my children are lagging in enthusiasm about the language, I find a game online that helps us have fun learning. However, that is the extent of their exposure to the Media. We don't have a TV. Any movies we watch are DVDs that can be watched on our laptops. It works nicely for us. The kids have no need for cell phones and I am going to hold off on MP4 players, iPods, and everything else as long as I can because I am dreading the day that my child would rather have a set of ear buds in their ear than talk with me.
Cyber Bullying is no surprise to me. I hadn't heard of it, but it seems so possible. So many young students have cell phones and laptops and thus are targets. That could be my children and I might not even know about it unless someone alerted me of strange behavior in my children.
In Digital Nativism, I disagree with Prensky's view that children need to have the digital world at their finger tips at an early age so they won't be left behind. I have first hand experience with having been bullied. If I had had a cell phone back then and someone could have texted me mean things, it would have crushed me. A relative very close to me has been the victim of bullying right under the teacher's nose and if he couldn't get away from it by coming home to a loving home, he would refuse to go to school. I believe it is important for students to learn to use technology so they can effectively complete homework and be prepared to use technology in the workplace. However, I am not ready for my children to stop being normal children. I want them to go out and play after school and chores and go over to the home of their friends. Once the Internet takes priority in their life, I have lost them. I'm withholding technology unless we need to research something for a homework assignment. I try to model for my children that the technology in my life is for positive communication and solid work more than movie watching and game playing. I agree with McKenzie that we still need books, libraries, and librarians.
The article on Childhood Obesity is sad. When I was young, I spent a majority of my free time outside playing. I also spent as much time as my parents allowed me to, playing computer games. However, the outdoors won more often than not. I am trying to do that with my children as well, but it gets harder the older they get.
I like the idea of ending gaming. I have a fairly intense personality, so whatever I choose to put my energy into gets 100% of me. I got into a computer game the first of my marriage. The twists and turns of life removed it from my daily life. Twelve years later, I tried playing that same game again and just couldn't get into it. It had lost it's luster. There were just so many other fun things to do that were much more enriching. However, there are people in my family that are addicted to them; they say that they use them to escape from life and relax. The problem for me is that they inadvertently escape from the relationships around them and lose out as well as create bitterness. I have grown to hate these computer games. I see what they've done to some and I don't want my children to EVER get interested if I can help it.
Can gaming change education? Playing games during class can change one's attitude towards a class and teacher. Playing online educational games that help with vocabulary, etc. can be beneficial. Games that replicate the addictive ones concern me. They still represent the negative parts of gaming while putting a happy face on the surface and they take away from learning the old-fashioned way. I'd rather my students learned from social games with each other in the physical world.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Sunday, 28 March 2010
FINALLY!!!! A completed Digital Story Book
I am so happy and relieved and ecstatic!!!! I finally remembered that PhotoStory3 can create power point slide shows and save them as a .wmv file which is required to upload to blogs, youtube, etc.
If it won't load, use this web address:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1MDm5lnumY
Enjoy!
If it won't load, use this web address:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1MDm5lnumY
Enjoy!
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Week 5 Collaboration Experience
Describe your experience with group projects in the classroom, including the benefits achieved and the frustrations encountered.
I have never enjoyed working on projects with others for a variety of reasons.
1) In the past, I wanted a good grade, so to get it, I had to do most of the work myself.
2) Most of the time, the people in my group didn't understand what the teacher wanted, so to get things rolling, I would take on leading the group; it was nerve-racking.
3) I like to be viewed as dependable (who doesn't), but my life doesn't even feel dependable right now. So, I worry that I will let my team down. That part feels worse than me not being able to depend on someone else to come through with their contribution. I will come through, but it might be at 2 am when I get there.
How can online tools help?
1. The ability to type in a phrase such as, "How to create a blog", and have the answer in seconds is the best set of encyclopedias I have ever owned. I still respect the needs for books, libraries, etc., but when I moved to Taiwan, I couldn't take any of it with me due to space and weight. The next best thing was to scan in anything I wanted to take, even recipes b/c a recipe box was too big. I have really come to rely on Internet access; when it's down, I'm lost and sometimes even bored which shows how much I'm on it.
2. Email has become a part of my daily routine. I actually budget the first and last 30 minutes of the work day to respond to and send out emails; I remind people of upcoming events or communicate about issues in classes or the dorm, etc. Just recently, I got the email addresses of all my students and sent them their grades that way. It was private and I was able to encourage them in an individually focused way. It did take a lot of time, but it would've taken longer to talk with each of them face-to-face. What I like best is that I can communicate one idea to anyone at the same time and save myself so much time!
3. Google docs can help by providing a "meeting" place 24/7; we attend the meeting and contribute when we have our own free moment; it doesn't take me away from eating supper with my family or putting my kids to bed. As long as everyone knows the deadline for "meeting and contributing", it works perfectly.
4. Google wave, which is still in beta testing, Here are some ways to use Google Wave: Organize events (weekend activities with religious or student association activities), do group projects (classroom or ad com), share photos simply by dragging and dropping into google wave (yearbook contributions from staff), meeting notes (compling an agenda before a meeting and taking notes during a meeting), brainstorming (any meeting in which creativity is required), and interactive games (soduku, phone conference calling, planning an intinerary for a trip, determining the weather anywhere and viewing maps of any location without having to go to a seperate website. This is exciting!!!!
5. Mind-mapping using Bubbl.us that can be worked on, saved, and uploaded to something like Google Docs.
How to alleviate frustrations with online tools:
1. As the teacher, make sure we know what we expect, how to do what we expect, and to have reasonable expectations.
2. Inform the students of what our exact expectations are so they can suceed vs. putting a lot of work into what they thought we wanted vs. what we really wanted.
3. Create a system that gives both an individual grade as well as a team/group's grade to ensure participation from all team members.
I have never enjoyed working on projects with others for a variety of reasons.
1) In the past, I wanted a good grade, so to get it, I had to do most of the work myself.
2) Most of the time, the people in my group didn't understand what the teacher wanted, so to get things rolling, I would take on leading the group; it was nerve-racking.
3) I like to be viewed as dependable (who doesn't), but my life doesn't even feel dependable right now. So, I worry that I will let my team down. That part feels worse than me not being able to depend on someone else to come through with their contribution. I will come through, but it might be at 2 am when I get there.
How can online tools help?
1. The ability to type in a phrase such as, "How to create a blog", and have the answer in seconds is the best set of encyclopedias I have ever owned. I still respect the needs for books, libraries, etc., but when I moved to Taiwan, I couldn't take any of it with me due to space and weight. The next best thing was to scan in anything I wanted to take, even recipes b/c a recipe box was too big. I have really come to rely on Internet access; when it's down, I'm lost and sometimes even bored which shows how much I'm on it.
2. Email has become a part of my daily routine. I actually budget the first and last 30 minutes of the work day to respond to and send out emails; I remind people of upcoming events or communicate about issues in classes or the dorm, etc. Just recently, I got the email addresses of all my students and sent them their grades that way. It was private and I was able to encourage them in an individually focused way. It did take a lot of time, but it would've taken longer to talk with each of them face-to-face. What I like best is that I can communicate one idea to anyone at the same time and save myself so much time!
3. Google docs can help by providing a "meeting" place 24/7; we attend the meeting and contribute when we have our own free moment; it doesn't take me away from eating supper with my family or putting my kids to bed. As long as everyone knows the deadline for "meeting and contributing", it works perfectly.
4. Google wave, which is still in beta testing, Here are some ways to use Google Wave: Organize events (weekend activities with religious or student association activities), do group projects (classroom or ad com), share photos simply by dragging and dropping into google wave (yearbook contributions from staff), meeting notes (compling an agenda before a meeting and taking notes during a meeting), brainstorming (any meeting in which creativity is required), and interactive games (soduku, phone conference calling, planning an intinerary for a trip, determining the weather anywhere and viewing maps of any location without having to go to a seperate website. This is exciting!!!!
5. Mind-mapping using Bubbl.us that can be worked on, saved, and uploaded to something like Google Docs.
How to alleviate frustrations with online tools:
1. As the teacher, make sure we know what we expect, how to do what we expect, and to have reasonable expectations.
2. Inform the students of what our exact expectations are so they can suceed vs. putting a lot of work into what they thought we wanted vs. what we really wanted.
3. Create a system that gives both an individual grade as well as a team/group's grade to ensure participation from all team members.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
A Digital Story Book about Thailand
I tried to create a podcast using my webcam and realized I actually had a video. So I tried to upload it to blip.tv and failed. (I really didn't become computer saavy until I turned 30, so I'm doing well for my age).
So, I changed my mini-project for week 4 to a digital story book. Since I had lots of photos from our recent trip to Thailand, I made it into a story. It has taken about 12 hours to complete around my full-time job, thus the reason is is being posted, essentially, Thursday morning, my time.
I had lots of fun making it. I plan to show this digital story in my ESL Religion class to show them what a digital story book is. Then, I will have them choose a topic within a category that I'll specify and they will have to collect the pictures, create the power point, write the script, record and re-record the narration, find and download a sound file and convert it to MP3 format, and figure how to make the song play throughout the whole presentation. Then, they will present it in class and I and their fellow students will evaluate it. I can't wait to get started! Yes, this digital story is very usable in my classes.
So, I changed my mini-project for week 4 to a digital story book. Since I had lots of photos from our recent trip to Thailand, I made it into a story. It has taken about 12 hours to complete around my full-time job, thus the reason is is being posted, essentially, Thursday morning, my time.
I had lots of fun making it. I plan to show this digital story in my ESL Religion class to show them what a digital story book is. Then, I will have them choose a topic within a category that I'll specify and they will have to collect the pictures, create the power point, write the script, record and re-record the narration, find and download a sound file and convert it to MP3 format, and figure how to make the song play throughout the whole presentation. Then, they will present it in class and I and their fellow students will evaluate it. I can't wait to get started! Yes, this digital story is very usable in my classes.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Digital Storytelling: Good or Bad Idea?!?
The Purpose of Digital Storytelling:
The purpose is to tell a story of one's choosing using technology, pictures, videos, narration, music, etc. It allows a person to use their technology and creative skills while telling a story about a specified subject. This type of storytelling brings to life what one is trying to convey--a picture speaks a 1,000 words--and makes it easy to help others understand the concept.
Appropriateness in the Classroom: ESL Religion in Taiwan
Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! Digital Storyboarding is VERY appropriate in an ESL Religion class.
1. Pictures can tell everyone so much which makes it easier for an ESL student to communicate and share with the class their ideas or background, etc.
2. My students are very technology inclined and have even asked me to give them technology-driven assignments.
3. They could use digital story booking to tell the class who they are by showing us pictures, what their religious background is, how God has affected them through out their life, how He interacts with them, how they view Him, etc.
4. The students will have to write the narration, give it to me for correction, record it multiple times until they get the pronunciation correct. The amount they will learn in the process will be phenomenal!
5. We can publish this to YouTube for the world to see and the students feelings will be three-fold:
A) They will try to do a REALLY good job so as to avoid loosing face on the public Internet
B) They will be so proud of what they have done
C) They will be more marketable in the future no matter what venue they pursue.
What I Thought of the Two Digital Stories I Watched:
Hit La Pinata:
This digital storyboard was very informative, short and easy to pay attention to, and looks simple to create because it used all still life pictures; and, it weaved in religion without bombarding anyone with God. I enjoyed listening to the girl talk because she had a Hispanic accent that was aesthetically pleasing. I would definitely use this as an example in my ESL Religion class to give them an idea of how to create a a digital story with still-life pictures and how slowly and distinctly and loudly they would need to speak in order for others to understand them.
Zen Buddhism:
This digital storyboard, again, was informative and used video versus still-life pictures; for this reason, it would be a good example to show in a classroom of what the end result of a video digital story should look like. However, I would have a hard time showing this in a Christian classroom because it made Buddhism look attractive and I would not want to be responsible for influencing someone away from Jesus; thus, I would not show this in a classroom of students who are "on the fence" about Christianity, but rather only to students who are grounded in their faith.
It was harder to hold my attention with this video because it focused on slow movements consistent with the idea of meditation.
Interfaith Dialogue:
This was an audio file. I would never play this in my classroom because it put me to sleep. The visual was very much so needed, I realized. If pictures or video are not used, then the person's voice needs to be animated so as to keep the listener's attention.
The purpose is to tell a story of one's choosing using technology, pictures, videos, narration, music, etc. It allows a person to use their technology and creative skills while telling a story about a specified subject. This type of storytelling brings to life what one is trying to convey--a picture speaks a 1,000 words--and makes it easy to help others understand the concept.
Appropriateness in the Classroom: ESL Religion in Taiwan
Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! Digital Storyboarding is VERY appropriate in an ESL Religion class.
1. Pictures can tell everyone so much which makes it easier for an ESL student to communicate and share with the class their ideas or background, etc.
2. My students are very technology inclined and have even asked me to give them technology-driven assignments.
3. They could use digital story booking to tell the class who they are by showing us pictures, what their religious background is, how God has affected them through out their life, how He interacts with them, how they view Him, etc.
4. The students will have to write the narration, give it to me for correction, record it multiple times until they get the pronunciation correct. The amount they will learn in the process will be phenomenal!
5. We can publish this to YouTube for the world to see and the students feelings will be three-fold:
A) They will try to do a REALLY good job so as to avoid loosing face on the public Internet
B) They will be so proud of what they have done
C) They will be more marketable in the future no matter what venue they pursue.
What I Thought of the Two Digital Stories I Watched:
Hit La Pinata:
This digital storyboard was very informative, short and easy to pay attention to, and looks simple to create because it used all still life pictures; and, it weaved in religion without bombarding anyone with God. I enjoyed listening to the girl talk because she had a Hispanic accent that was aesthetically pleasing. I would definitely use this as an example in my ESL Religion class to give them an idea of how to create a a digital story with still-life pictures and how slowly and distinctly and loudly they would need to speak in order for others to understand them.
Zen Buddhism:
This digital storyboard, again, was informative and used video versus still-life pictures; for this reason, it would be a good example to show in a classroom of what the end result of a video digital story should look like. However, I would have a hard time showing this in a Christian classroom because it made Buddhism look attractive and I would not want to be responsible for influencing someone away from Jesus; thus, I would not show this in a classroom of students who are "on the fence" about Christianity, but rather only to students who are grounded in their faith.
It was harder to hold my attention with this video because it focused on slow movements consistent with the idea of meditation.
Interfaith Dialogue:
This was an audio file. I would never play this in my classroom because it put me to sleep. The visual was very much so needed, I realized. If pictures or video are not used, then the person's voice needs to be animated so as to keep the listener's attention.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
RSS
This was hard. May I have done it right...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/beach/
I love beaches and since I can't seem to get to real, live, white, sandy beaches, I relish pictures and relax through them.
http://delicious.com/search?p=cheap+travel+in+asia&chk=&fr=del_icio_us&lc=0&atags=&rtags=&context=userposts%7Cingoldjr%7C&context=all%7C%7C
We currently live in Taiwan. It has always been our goal to visit other countries, but it isn't easy when there are four people compared to just yourself. So, inexpensive travel and accomodations are important.
http://pjgalien.wordpress.com/feed/
I am an ESL Religion Teacher and I find it challenging to teach Bible subjects to students who are not Christian and who don't know English fluently; most of the Religion classes I teach have a lot of discussion which requires the ability to express yourself. Thus, I'm having to read the chapter with them, go through the words, give definitions and give example sentences. In order for them to buy into the class, I have to show them how the vocabulary in the chapter is used in everyday conversation and then they are motivated to learn it. It's a challenge, but this seems to be the best way.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ChineseLearnOnline
We live in Taiwan where Mandarin Chinese is the spoken and written language. It is popular for people to be in an English class, so many speak, but many more do not. So, I've had to learn a little Chinese to get around. It's fun, kind of like a puzzle. I've learned how to say most of the basic most needed phrases. Now, I'm learning vocabulary. Eventually, I'll learn how to express myself with feeling words. Learning another language is like a hobby here; if my "real" job demands my time, I have to put my hobby on the shelf for awhile. However, the beauty of this job is that I continually hear Chinese sounds, so it's not fully on the shelf; I'm learning even when I'm not focusing on it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/beach/
I love beaches and since I can't seem to get to real, live, white, sandy beaches, I relish pictures and relax through them.
http://delicious.com/search?p=cheap+travel+in+asia&chk=&fr=del_icio_us&lc=0&atags=&rtags=&context=userposts%7Cingoldjr%7C&context=all%7C%7C
We currently live in Taiwan. It has always been our goal to visit other countries, but it isn't easy when there are four people compared to just yourself. So, inexpensive travel and accomodations are important.
http://pjgalien.wordpress.com/feed/
I am an ESL Religion Teacher and I find it challenging to teach Bible subjects to students who are not Christian and who don't know English fluently; most of the Religion classes I teach have a lot of discussion which requires the ability to express yourself. Thus, I'm having to read the chapter with them, go through the words, give definitions and give example sentences. In order for them to buy into the class, I have to show them how the vocabulary in the chapter is used in everyday conversation and then they are motivated to learn it. It's a challenge, but this seems to be the best way.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ChineseLearnOnline
We live in Taiwan where Mandarin Chinese is the spoken and written language. It is popular for people to be in an English class, so many speak, but many more do not. So, I've had to learn a little Chinese to get around. It's fun, kind of like a puzzle. I've learned how to say most of the basic most needed phrases. Now, I'm learning vocabulary. Eventually, I'll learn how to express myself with feeling words. Learning another language is like a hobby here; if my "real" job demands my time, I have to put my hobby on the shelf for awhile. However, the beauty of this job is that I continually hear Chinese sounds, so it's not fully on the shelf; I'm learning even when I'm not focusing on it.
Thursday, 11 March 2010
The SAMR Model and ESL
Class activities that illustrate the 4 levels of Peuntedura's SAMR model
Substitution – Substitute original
I currently review vocabulary in class using hand-made paper flash cards. I will do the same activity using online flash cards. There are many places online that already have pre-made flash cards. The Merriam Webster site is the only one in which I can customize which cards I want to be reviewed.
My rationale: The online flash cards are simply replacing the paper ones. There is no further effectiveness when using the online cards. It takes about the same amount of time to make both types of flash cards, but we save the trees by not making paper ones. Plus, the online ones will be there forever and not take up physical space or get lost.
Augmentation – Replace old model with a new model
Online flashcards can get boring, so to liven things up a bit, we’ll put a twist on reviewing vocabulary by playing online ESL games that make reviewing fun. Both my children and I are learning Chinese which is a difficult language to learn. On the weekends, we have fun with online games that challenge us on which ever topic we choose. Consequently, we remember those vocabulary words and the language learning is positive.
My rationale: Speaking from a language learning perspective, I fall asleep at times on my flash cards, but when I get to play a game, it makes it a little bit more fun and thus it holds my attention longer. Usually games include pictures which also cement the vocab in my brain more solidly.
Modification – Modify existing model
Have students play lots of online games and tell me which ones they like and what they like about them as well as what they would like to change about them and then allow them access to modify the games to make them better.
My rationale: To get the students play the games and thus reviewing, but giving them a chance to evaluate the tools I have introduced them to. Evaluating gives them a chance to express their opinion which always holds one’s attention.
Redefinition – Create new model
Have the students create their own types of review games whether they are on paper or online.
My rationale: When we create, we take ownership. So, if we let a student create a fun way to review something boring, they will be more likely to succeed.
Substitution – Substitute original
I currently review vocabulary in class using hand-made paper flash cards. I will do the same activity using online flash cards. There are many places online that already have pre-made flash cards. The Merriam Webster site is the only one in which I can customize which cards I want to be reviewed.
My rationale: The online flash cards are simply replacing the paper ones. There is no further effectiveness when using the online cards. It takes about the same amount of time to make both types of flash cards, but we save the trees by not making paper ones. Plus, the online ones will be there forever and not take up physical space or get lost.
Augmentation – Replace old model with a new model
Online flashcards can get boring, so to liven things up a bit, we’ll put a twist on reviewing vocabulary by playing online ESL games that make reviewing fun. Both my children and I are learning Chinese which is a difficult language to learn. On the weekends, we have fun with online games that challenge us on which ever topic we choose. Consequently, we remember those vocabulary words and the language learning is positive.
My rationale: Speaking from a language learning perspective, I fall asleep at times on my flash cards, but when I get to play a game, it makes it a little bit more fun and thus it holds my attention longer. Usually games include pictures which also cement the vocab in my brain more solidly.
Modification – Modify existing model
Have students play lots of online games and tell me which ones they like and what they like about them as well as what they would like to change about them and then allow them access to modify the games to make them better.
My rationale: To get the students play the games and thus reviewing, but giving them a chance to evaluate the tools I have introduced them to. Evaluating gives them a chance to express their opinion which always holds one’s attention.
Redefinition – Create new model
Have the students create their own types of review games whether they are on paper or online.
My rationale: When we create, we take ownership. So, if we let a student create a fun way to review something boring, they will be more likely to succeed.
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Comments on21st Century Skills Week 2
My interpretation of Jay Matthew's columns is that teaching 21st Century Skills is just a fad. Technology companies are cashing in on school's insisting that parents put out the money for expensive technology requirements and that teachers have been teaching current-century skills for centuries. This is nothing new.
Yes, A) I think Jay Matthew's column headline, "The Latest Doomed Pedagogical Fad", definitly got people's attention and yes, B) I believe he has a valid point and yes, C) I also believe he is missing the point.
A) The headline is bold and confrontational; who wouldn't want to read it?
B) He has a valid point in that technology companies can sell an idea and if everyone doesn't think about how they could do it more inexpensively, too much money is spent.
C) He could be missing the point in that technology could give students different tools that would allow them to learn in the way they learn the best if teachers knew to suggest the opportunities.
My view of 21st-century skills before Tuesday was that I was all for utilizing technology in the classroom ASAP. So, I tried using it Tuesday and I feel like I failed. Granted, part of the issue was a language barrier; my students mother tongue is Chinese (Mandarin) and they are at my school learning to speak English. Many of them did not have the Google Toolbar with Google Translator downloaded on their computers, so they couldn't just translate the website from English to Chinese. So, the activity I had planned for them went belly up and I felt embarrassed. Next time I will have to take some time to ensure that everyone has the toolbar downloaded before I try to do an activity.
In my ESL class, I attempted cooperative learning that required people to work together and collaborate thoughts. I divided them into groups of three and they had to find definitions to the vocab words I gave. Each group had 7 words; the next day, they had to present the words and definitions and write them on the board. The first presentation along with writing on the board took so long that many of the students lost interest and I had to take control again.
I think that integrating these ideas is important, but I need to figure out how to do it successfully before I fail again. I need to figure out the stepping stones from the ground up and then teach.
Another thing holding me back from plowing forward with implementing 21st century skills is that I don't know how to use all the tools that the kids are adept at. I understand most things about cell phones, PDAs, and laptops; but dictionaries, ipods and MP3 players are foreign to me, so I'll need to learn about all their features and how to work them prior to asking the students to do anything with them. What other gadgets am I unaware of?
Twenty-first century skills have to be taught, but they'll be pointless if our students can't read, write, spell, and do math. So, teach the basics through cooperative learning and collaboration and critical thinking, etc. while using the technology to cement the knowledge into their brains. Knowledge is a form of power and if the Internet--a source of knowledge--is down, the people who know how to find the information will be clueless as to the answers and thus will have little power.
Yes, A) I think Jay Matthew's column headline, "The Latest Doomed Pedagogical Fad", definitly got people's attention and yes, B) I believe he has a valid point and yes, C) I also believe he is missing the point.
A) The headline is bold and confrontational; who wouldn't want to read it?
B) He has a valid point in that technology companies can sell an idea and if everyone doesn't think about how they could do it more inexpensively, too much money is spent.
C) He could be missing the point in that technology could give students different tools that would allow them to learn in the way they learn the best if teachers knew to suggest the opportunities.
My view of 21st-century skills before Tuesday was that I was all for utilizing technology in the classroom ASAP. So, I tried using it Tuesday and I feel like I failed. Granted, part of the issue was a language barrier; my students mother tongue is Chinese (Mandarin) and they are at my school learning to speak English. Many of them did not have the Google Toolbar with Google Translator downloaded on their computers, so they couldn't just translate the website from English to Chinese. So, the activity I had planned for them went belly up and I felt embarrassed. Next time I will have to take some time to ensure that everyone has the toolbar downloaded before I try to do an activity.
In my ESL class, I attempted cooperative learning that required people to work together and collaborate thoughts. I divided them into groups of three and they had to find definitions to the vocab words I gave. Each group had 7 words; the next day, they had to present the words and definitions and write them on the board. The first presentation along with writing on the board took so long that many of the students lost interest and I had to take control again.
I think that integrating these ideas is important, but I need to figure out how to do it successfully before I fail again. I need to figure out the stepping stones from the ground up and then teach.
Another thing holding me back from plowing forward with implementing 21st century skills is that I don't know how to use all the tools that the kids are adept at. I understand most things about cell phones, PDAs, and laptops; but dictionaries, ipods and MP3 players are foreign to me, so I'll need to learn about all their features and how to work them prior to asking the students to do anything with them. What other gadgets am I unaware of?
Twenty-first century skills have to be taught, but they'll be pointless if our students can't read, write, spell, and do math. So, teach the basics through cooperative learning and collaboration and critical thinking, etc. while using the technology to cement the knowledge into their brains. Knowledge is a form of power and if the Internet--a source of knowledge--is down, the people who know how to find the information will be clueless as to the answers and thus will have little power.
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Implentation itunes U Torress Henderson Blog
•Comment about your experience in doing these tasks and include a link to your blog post for this Implement tasks.
-Implementing the embedding of the video of Mr. Winkle on my blog was simple thanks to the You Tube video--great visual because it took a lot of the guesswork out of the how to.
-Finding the Torres Henderson file within itunes U was more challenging. The video was inspiring. I watched the whole thing even though only the first 17 minutes were the most relevant simply because I hoped that what they presented would be a springboard for ideas I could use in my classes.
•The iTunes video with Torres and Henderson distinguishes between doing things in a different way and doing different things. Give examples of where you have used technology to do things in a different way and to do different things.
-My first teaching experience lasted for one year about 9 years ago--back when technology in the classroom was unheard of outside of the occasional video. Now, I'm teaching again, after raising two babies, and I'm realizing how different the students are. For the past seven months, I have done what I had to daily just to keep my head above water and sometimes that included a power point presentation or playing a video or audio file, but that was the extent of it inside the classroom. During the last vacation, I started researching creative ideas to use in the classroom to make the subject material fun to learn and one of them was using a cell phone. Now, the ideas are really beginning to flow; students don't need video cameras to record interviews b/c they have web cams with microphones; skype is available for esl students to talk with native speakers; blogs could be used for journal entries all posted to the me and thus not use any paper or take time to print. I can't wait to learn how to use it all together; lack of knowledge is holding me back from using it tomorrow. I want to have it thought through and know how to deal with the kinks a little so I can keep the students excited and motivated.
•What benefit can you see in embedding a Youtube video in a web page, rather than linking to the same video in Youtube?
-It seems that an embedded video doesn't take as long to spool or load. I'm not really sure what the difference is between the two. Is embedding where the video is right there to watch and linking means that there is a link to click on and then a new browser window opens? If I defined this right, embedding the video would be more beneficial because people would be more likely to watch the video that moment than if they had to take the time to go to a different site. It is too easy to get distracted while waiting and if the end result isn't sweet enough to wait for, most people will never get there.
-Implementing the embedding of the video of Mr. Winkle on my blog was simple thanks to the You Tube video--great visual because it took a lot of the guesswork out of the how to.
-Finding the Torres Henderson file within itunes U was more challenging. The video was inspiring. I watched the whole thing even though only the first 17 minutes were the most relevant simply because I hoped that what they presented would be a springboard for ideas I could use in my classes.
•The iTunes video with Torres and Henderson distinguishes between doing things in a different way and doing different things. Give examples of where you have used technology to do things in a different way and to do different things.
-My first teaching experience lasted for one year about 9 years ago--back when technology in the classroom was unheard of outside of the occasional video. Now, I'm teaching again, after raising two babies, and I'm realizing how different the students are. For the past seven months, I have done what I had to daily just to keep my head above water and sometimes that included a power point presentation or playing a video or audio file, but that was the extent of it inside the classroom. During the last vacation, I started researching creative ideas to use in the classroom to make the subject material fun to learn and one of them was using a cell phone. Now, the ideas are really beginning to flow; students don't need video cameras to record interviews b/c they have web cams with microphones; skype is available for esl students to talk with native speakers; blogs could be used for journal entries all posted to the me and thus not use any paper or take time to print. I can't wait to learn how to use it all together; lack of knowledge is holding me back from using it tomorrow. I want to have it thought through and know how to deal with the kinks a little so I can keep the students excited and motivated.
•What benefit can you see in embedding a Youtube video in a web page, rather than linking to the same video in Youtube?
-It seems that an embedded video doesn't take as long to spool or load. I'm not really sure what the difference is between the two. Is embedding where the video is right there to watch and linking means that there is a link to click on and then a new browser window opens? If I defined this right, embedding the video would be more beneficial because people would be more likely to watch the video that moment than if they had to take the time to go to a different site. It is too easy to get distracted while waiting and if the end result isn't sweet enough to wait for, most people will never get there.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Embedding Mr. Winkle T21 Implementation Assignment
Mr. Winkle, a man who went to sleep one-hundred years ago, awakes expecting everything to be the same and finds himself shocked by all the differences. However, when he walked into a school, he immediately felt at home because what he saw was much like what he remembered school being like one-hundred years ago; it hadn't changed.
Friday, 26 February 2010
Comments on connecting to the 21st-century student
I read the article titled "Connecting to the 21st-Century Student" and thourghly enjoyed it.
I can personally relate to this article because I always take my laptop with me to any class, workshop, conference, and meeting because I never know when I'll need to take note (why get a hand cramp and then loose the piece of paper you took notes on), send an email message regarding meeting contents (why have a to-do list to do later?), or find an answer to a question during the meeting (instant answers are just waiting to be found on the World Wide Web). Typing allows me to write almost anything as fast as my thoughts come to me or about as fast as someone talks. A pen tends to cramp my hand, produce misspellings, and is so sloppy that no one could read it later anyway.
Recently, I was searching for games I could play in the classroom to reinforce what we are learning. This teacher pulled together four cell phones in the class room that had the same carrier (so they could text for free), divided the class into three groups, and proceeded to ask review questions for the test. Each group had to collaborate, come up with the correct answer and text it to the teacher. The first text to come through got the point. The best part is that the teacher doesn't have to make the judgement about who answered first.
This article spurred me to wondering how other items of technology could be used to help my students do even better. I am an English as a Second Language teacher; repetition and exposure to English are paramount in learning and remembering and thus being able to speak. Could Ipods or MP3 players have vocab put on and thus they review using these tech tools?
I can personally relate to this article because I always take my laptop with me to any class, workshop, conference, and meeting because I never know when I'll need to take note (why get a hand cramp and then loose the piece of paper you took notes on), send an email message regarding meeting contents (why have a to-do list to do later?), or find an answer to a question during the meeting (instant answers are just waiting to be found on the World Wide Web). Typing allows me to write almost anything as fast as my thoughts come to me or about as fast as someone talks. A pen tends to cramp my hand, produce misspellings, and is so sloppy that no one could read it later anyway.
Recently, I was searching for games I could play in the classroom to reinforce what we are learning. This teacher pulled together four cell phones in the class room that had the same carrier (so they could text for free), divided the class into three groups, and proceeded to ask review questions for the test. Each group had to collaborate, come up with the correct answer and text it to the teacher. The first text to come through got the point. The best part is that the teacher doesn't have to make the judgement about who answered first.
This article spurred me to wondering how other items of technology could be used to help my students do even better. I am an English as a Second Language teacher; repetition and exposure to English are paramount in learning and remembering and thus being able to speak. Could Ipods or MP3 players have vocab put on and thus they review using these tech tools?
The World is Flat 3.0 Comments
It has always scared me to think that I couldn't get a job. I was always told I acheive anything if I worked hard enough. There is one catch to that logic: If someone else underbids you because they can afford to, then you are the one out of a job.
A flat world intimidates me in some ways because it levels the playing field too much. If I don't have as many skills as the next guy, I'm out in the cold or I have to have enough money to pay someone else to help me. For example, every new business should have a website before they even open for business. In this day and age, most people go to the Internet to get more information about a new business, service, or product. If they can't find any information, they might just forget about that new business, service, or product.
A flat world in the education world does not intimidate me. Instead, it broadens everyone's horizons. It allows for many opportunities faster that a round world could not have offered.
A flat world intimidates me in some ways because it levels the playing field too much. If I don't have as many skills as the next guy, I'm out in the cold or I have to have enough money to pay someone else to help me. For example, every new business should have a website before they even open for business. In this day and age, most people go to the Internet to get more information about a new business, service, or product. If they can't find any information, they might just forget about that new business, service, or product.
A flat world in the education world does not intimidate me. Instead, it broadens everyone's horizons. It allows for many opportunities faster that a round world could not have offered.
Whacky Kids response
This blog opened up my mind to the need for change in how we view teenager's technology and blend it with the idea of school. At one point during the presentation, I heard a quote worded similar to this: "If we don't change the venue for distributing and then applying information, witin four years, media will lessen even more than it already has, our effectiveness as teachers with our students.
I was surprised at the idea of students having a life outside of school that is filled with technology and then they walk into the four walls of school and we ask them to separate themselves from their identity outside of school because it threatens us--we don't know how to utilize it. What if we asked the students how their "tech tools" could be used for assignments? What would they say? I wonder if they know more of how to answer this than most adults 10-20 years older than them.
I was surprised at the idea of students having a life outside of school that is filled with technology and then they walk into the four walls of school and we ask them to separate themselves from their identity outside of school because it threatens us--we don't know how to utilize it. What if we asked the students how their "tech tools" could be used for assignments? What would they say? I wonder if they know more of how to answer this than most adults 10-20 years older than them.
Ed Tech Mr. Winkle
It is a good thing for Mr. Winkle to finally feel comfortable when he walks into the school. We all yearn for comfortable spots because that is when we learn best. The beauty of schools is that we can, with a little knowledge of technology, and creativity on our parts as teachers modify the way we convey information or require homework to be done.
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